Portable, invertible container



Jan. 25, 1966 A. F. SCHAAD 3,231,141

PORTABLE, INVERTIBLE CONTAINER Filed Feb. 8, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ALBERT E SCHAAD Jan. 25, 1966 A. F. SCHAAD 3,231,141

PORTABLE, INVERTIBLE CONTAINER Filed Feb. 8, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ALBERT F. SCHAAD A T TORNEV United States Patent York Filed Feb. 8, 1963, Ser. No, 257,332 2 Claims. (Cl. 222-166) This invention relates to a portable container having a top opening and which is adapted to be inverted b-y rotation about a horizontal fixed axis to enable gravity discharge of the contents of said container through said top opening. More particularly, this invention relates to a portable container having a top opening and which is adapted to be inverted by rotation about a horizontal fixed axis to enable gravity discharge of the contents of said container through said top opening, wherein the top opening of said container in the inverted position is at level substantially higher than the initial level of the bottom of said container when in an upright position.

It is a common commercial practice to transport various fluid materials, including liquids and particulate solids, in drums or other containers having only a top opening. Unless the contents of these containers can be pumped out, it is necessary to invert the containers to permit the discharge of these contents through the top opening by gravity flow. This necessity is of little problem for small containers which are quite light when full; but when large, heavy, filled containers are employed, difliculties in effecting the invention of the containers arise. Because of the great weight of these large filled containers, it has been the practice to provide each container with pivot means located in a horizontal plane passing through the center of gravity of the filled container. The container is then inverted for discharge of its contents by rotating it about the axis passing through the pivot means. To effect the removal of the contents of the container in this manner, it was necessary to employ heavy duty hoists, lifts, and the like to raise the container to a height sufficient to permit access to the top opening of the container in the inverted position and to permit receiving means, such as trucks, dollies, hoppers, conveyers, and the like, to be positioned beneath the opening to receive the contents of the container.

It is an object of this invention to provide a portable container which can be inverted by rotation about a horizontal axis wherein the top opening in the inverted position is at a level which is higher than the level of the bottom of the container in an upright position, which can be handled with a minimum of special equipment.

This and other objects, which will be apparent from the following specification and claims, are accomplished by providing a container with pivot means spaced above the center of gravity of the container.

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a container constructed according to this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top sectional view of a container constructed according to this invention;

FIGURE 3 is a partial sectional side view of a container constructed according to this invention;

FIGURE 4 is a partially sectional front view of a container constructed according to this invention in combination with an apparatus for inverting the container of this invention; and

FIGURE 5 is a side view of a container constructed according to this invention in combination with an apparatus for inverting the container of this invention.

With reference to FIGURES l, 2 and 3, the portable container of this invention consists essentially of a container 1, having a top and bottom and an opening in the top 3, said opening fitted with a closure 5, which is held in place by sealing means, not shown. The container optionally may be provided with a plurality of feet or legs 7 aifixed to its bottom. Although the container shown is cylindrical and has a frustro-conical top portion, it is clear that other configurations, such as rectangular and the like, can be readily employed. However, the particular configuration shown is preferred because of its ease of construction and draining.

The container is provided with circumferentially opposed pivot means located in a substantially horizontal plane which is intermediate the top of said container and a point equidistant from the top and bottom of said container. The pivot means shown is a hollow, cylindrical mounting 9 which is fixed to the sides of the container, the hollow central portion of which communicates with the outside of container 1. An axle can be inserted in the hollow shaft and the container rotated about the axle, whereby the top opening of the container, when in the inverted position, is at a level higher than the bottom of the container in an upright'position. Other pivot means, such as circumferentially opposed. hubs affixed to the outer side of the container, or attachable thereto, and the like, can be employed if desired. In general, the axis of the pivot means is located at a distance from the bottom of said container which is from 60 to percent of the overall height of the container, with a distance of from 60 to 70 percent being preferred. By the term bottom, as employed in the specification and claims, is meant the bottom of the container including all downward projections therefrom, such as foot or legs 7 shown in FIG- URES 1-3. Thus, all measurements are taken from the extreme ends of the container.

FIGURES 4 and S are illustrative of the method of use of the container of this invention. The container 1 is raised to a height suflicient to permit free rotation about its axis, and axle 15 is passed through bearing means 13, which bearing means are supported by support means 11, and then through hollow mounting shaft 9, whereby container 1 is suspended above the floor in an upright position. The container 1 is then rotated through degrees to a position indicated by the dotted lines. The rotation can be accomplished by any suitable means. The romeans shown consists of a motor 19 equipped with a sprocket wheel connected by link belt 21 to second sprocket wheel 23, slidably mounted about axle 15, and firmly fixed to lever means 17. On rotation of wheel 23, lever means 17 is engaged with one: of feet 7 and causes the rotation of container 1 to the inverted position. A dolly or other receiving means can then be inserted under the opening of container 1, and the closure 3 removed, whereby the contents of said container are discharged into said receiving means.

When the container of this invention is employed in this manner, the axis of rotation is in a plane spaced upwards from a point equidistant from the top and bottom of the container a distance which is at least about 30 percent of the distance from the opening of said container to the ground level, when the container is in an inverted position. The distance can be up to a maximum of about 50 percent, depending upon the size and configuration of the container. In addition, a shallow trench can be cut in the floor beneath the container to permit the container to be suspended nearer to the floor level and still rotate freely.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, (1) a portable container having a top, bottom and sides, a scalable opening in said top and circumferentially opposed horizontal pivot means; (2) fixed means for suspending said container above the floor level a distance sufficient to permit said container to rotate from an upright position to a fully inverted position through 180 degrees about said pivot means; and (3) mechanical means for inverting said container by rotation about said pivot means, wherein said pivot means are in a horizontal plane which is spaced from the bottom of 'said container a distance which is from 60 to 80 percent of the overall height of said container and spaced from a point equidistant from the top and bottom of said container a distance which is at least 30 percent of the distance from the top opening of said container to the floor level when said container is in the inverted position, said pivot means being formed by a hollow, substantially cylindrical mounting passing through said container and being fixed to the sides of said container and an axle passing through said mounting and supported by said fixed suspending means, with the proviso that said container is removably suspended by said pivot means from'said fixed support means.

2. In combination, (1) a portable container having a top, bottom and sides, a scalable opening in said top and circumferentially opposed horizontal pivot means; (2) fixed means for suspending said container above the floor level a distance sufficient to permit said container to rotate from an upright position to a fully inverted positionthrough 180 degrees about said pivot means; and (3) mechanical means for inverting said container by rotation about said pivot means, wherein said pivot means are in a horizontal plane which is spaced from the botm f id container a distance which is from 60 to 70 percent of the overall height of said container and spaced from a point equidistant from the top and bottom of said container a distance which is at least 30 percent of the distance from the top opening of said container to the floor level when said container is in the inverted position, said pivot means being formed by a hollow, substantially cylindrical mounting passing through said container and being fixed to the sides of said container and an axle passing through said mounting and supported by said suspending means, with the proviso that said container is removably suspended by said pivot means from said fixed support means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,527,128 2/1925 Durouaux et al 222167 1,654,810 1/1928 Hillyard 222166 1,891,032 7 12/1932 Venable 222166 2,324,747 7/1943 Welssert 222.166 X 2,929,658 3/1960 Killebrew 222-166 FOREIGN PATENTS 890,010 10/1943 France.

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Examiner.

LOUIS J, DEMBO, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, (1) A PORTABLE CONTAINER HAVING A TOP, BOTTOM AND SIDES, A SEALABLE OPENING IN SAID TOP AND CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OPPOSED HORIZONTAL PIVOT MEANS; (2) FIXED MEANS FOR SUSPENDING SAID CONTAINER ABOVE THE FLOOR LEVEL A DISTANCE SUFFICIENT TO PERMIT SAID CONTAINER TO ROTATE FROM AN UPRIGHT POSITION TO A FULLY INVERTED POSITION THROUGH 180 DEGREES ABOUT SAID PIVOT MEANS; AND (3) MECHANICAL MEANS FOR INVERTING SAID CONTAINER BY ROTATION ABOUT SAID PIVOT MEANS, WHEREIN SAID PIVOT MEANS ARE IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE WHICH IS SPACED FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID CONTAINER A DISTANCE WHICH IS FROM 60 TO 80 PERCENT OF THE OVERALL HEIGHT OF SAID CONTAINER AND SPACED FROM A POINT EQUIDISTANT FROM THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF SAID CONTAINER A DISTANCE WHICH IS AT LEAST 30 PERCENT OF THE DISTANCE FROM THE TOP OPENING OF SAID CONTAINER TO THE FLOOR LEVEL WHEN SAID CONTAINER IS IN THE INVERTED POSITION, SAID PIVOT MEANS BEING FORMED BY A HOLLOW, SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL MOUNTING PASSING THROUGH SAID CONTAINER AND BEING FIXED TO THE SIDES OF SAID CONTAINER AND AN AXLE PASSING THROUGH SAID MOUNTING AND SUPPORTED BY SAID FIXED SUSPENDING MEANS, WITH THE PROVISO THAT SAID CONTAINER IS REMOVABLY SUSPENDED BY SAID PIVOT MEANS FROM SAID FIXED SUPPORT MEANS. 